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Big Picture School Newsletter
March 11, 2024
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Upcoming Events
Check out the cultural calendar
Monthly Acknowledgement: Women’s History Month
Monthly Recognitions: Music in our Schools Month, National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, Youth Art Month, Social Work Month, National Nutrition Month, Irish American Heritage Month
March Thursdays- HS SLCs
March- Course Registration for next year
March 13- MS Course Registration Support- Counselor/Parent- Virtual via Teams 12:30-1:00 pm (link sent in email to MS families)
March 15- ASB Book Swap- 3:30-4:30 pm
March 15- National Honor Society Induction Ceremony
March 20- School Day SAT- 11th grade students
March 22- SCHOOL Day- Emergency Make-up Day
March 22- 6th grade visit to Bellevue College
March 22- PTSA Sponsored MS Fantasy-themed Dance- 4:30-6:00 pm
March 22-24- Ramen Robotics at Competition- Sammamish HS
March 28- BOOM event at BC
March 30- BSF's Spring for Schools Event 5:00 pm
April 5- End of Quarter 3
April 8-12- Spring Break
April 26-27-MS Play
May 4- Jr/Sr Prom
May 7 - AP Human Geo and AP Stats Exams
May 9 - AP Env Sci Exam
May 13 - AP Calc Exam
May 16 -Senior Retreat
Stay on top of events and activities and plan for important dates by reviewing the district calendar. Previous and current printable calendars, including the 2023-24 Family Calendar, are also available online.
March 22 Emergency Make-Up Day
March 22 will be an Emergency Make-Up Day due to the January 17 school closure. The previously scheduled District Professional Development Day on this date has been canceled. The 2023-2024 Family Calendarand Staff & District Calendarhave been updated to reflect this change.
BIG PICTURE ANNOUNCEMENTS
ASB Book Swap- This Week
Hey Big Picture! ASB is hosting a book swap event from 3:30-4:30 on Friday, March 15th in the cafeteria. Students who would like to participate can drop off used books in Suzanne's office starting on Monday, March 11th. For every book donated during the week, students can take one at the Friday swap! All remaining books will be donated.
Course Registration for next year
Counselors have begun to share course registration information for 2024-2025 with students. The schedule for each grade level is below. At each session, counselors will discuss course offerings for next year and how to register for courses using the online course sign-up system in Synergy. They will also provide planning documents for students during the session and then email those same documents to families after the session. Amy will meet with each high school student individually to review course selections and their 4-year high school plan before the everything is finalized in Synergy. Students will need to enter their course selections in Synergy by the dates below. Please reach out to Amy or Jamie should you have any questions about supporting your child with registering for courses for next year.
Class Presentations and Synergy Due Dates:
Current 9th and 10th grade Presentations: March 4th. Entry in Synergy Due: March 12
Current 8th grade Presentations: March 1st. Entry in Synergy Due: March 11
Current 7th grade Presentations: March 4th. Entry in Synergy Due: March 12
Current 6th grade Presentations: March 5th. Entry in Synergy Due; March 18
Advanced Placement Update
This information is also available in Spanish and Simplified Chinese.
AP test registration remains open to all students. Contact your school AP Coordinator and pay the $98 test fee plus a $40 late fee levied by the College Board. The total cost per test is $138. The last day for students to order tests at the school is March 14, 2024.The College Board closes the online AP test order systems for schools on March 15. After March 15, the College Board takes test orders by phone only. Test orders incur an additional $20 per test handling fee. Contact APTesting@bsd405.org to order. The total cost per test is $158. The last day to order an AP test in BSD is April 12. No new test orders will be submitted to the College Board after April 12.
Parents can look in Touchbase to make sure that AP test payments were made. Students can look at their online College Board account (www.mycollegeboard.org) to assure that they have AP tests ordered for administration in May. If the tests they intend to take are not showing up in their College Board account students should first check to make sure that payment was made in Touchbase. If there was no payment, no test was ordered.
Important dates:
- March 14 - Last day to order AP tests at schools
- March 15 - College Board closes online AP Test order system for schools to submit.
- March 18 – April 12 - College Board takes test orders by phone only. Test orders incur additional $20 per test handling fee. Contact APTesting@bsd405.org to order. Total cost per test is $158. The last day to order a test is April 12.
- After April 12 - Test registration for May 2024 test administration is closed in BSD. No new test orders will be submitted to College Board.
Contact APTesting@bsd405.org if you have any questions or need more information.
Ramen Robotics- Amazing 1st Competition of the Season
Last weekend, BP's Ramen Robotics Team participated in their first event of the season at Glacier Peak High School. The Noodles, as the team is affectionately called, served as one of the alliance captains and came away with not only a 5th place alliance finish, but also the Team Spirit award. The team's robot, Katsu, was a strong contender. We’d love to have you catch the action at our next competition at Sammamish HS on Sat. & Sun. March 23rd and 24th!
Before and After School Drop-off/Pick-up:
Before School: As a reminder, our campus opens at 7:45 AM. Students are not to arrive prior to 7:45 AM as there is not supervision on campus at that time. The cafe is open at 7:45 am for students to wait inside prior to heading to 1st period class.
Drop Off/Pick-up:
- Please remember to drive slowly and safely through our parking lot.
- If you want to wait with your child for a few minutes before they exit the car, please pull into a parking space and do not wait in the loop as this holds up the flow of the loop
- Students are not to be dropped off in the driveway, the back of the parking lot or in the through lane. Please have students enter and exit your vehicle at the drop-off zone.
- If your child is not out front waiting for you when you get to the drop-off/pick-up zone, please continue through the lot and park or circle around again. Waiting in the lanes causes a serious back-up problem and congestion for folks who are behind parked cars and in need of exiting.
- Your help, patience, and respectful driving behavior are most appreciated. We recognize that folks are usually in a hurry to get to where they need to go and by working together, we can create a safe, efficient, and stress-free environment.
BP PTSA info
- PTSA Newsletter- Week of March 11: Click here
-
Middle School Spring Fantasy Dance
Date: March 22nd Time: 4:30-6pm
Cost: $10. Please see Carol Anne if your family is experiencing financial hardship.
Tickets will be sold on the PTSA website, along with before and after school.
- Order BP Spirit wear here: https://bigpictureschool.itemorder.com/shop/sale/
- PTSA membership: https://www.bellevuebpsptsa.org/membership
- School Directory Now Available! Our school directory is now available via DirectorySpot! To gain access, please use the email address you have registered with the school. Note that not all students/families have opted into the Directory. Please let us know if you have questions! https://www.directoryspot.net/general/login.php
DISTRICT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Panorama Survey
Please read the letter here which provides an overview of the Panorama Survey. This survey is given each Fall and Spring to all 3rd-12th grade students in the district.
Fentanyl Information Night for Spanish Speaking Families
On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, the Bellevue School District, together with community health partners, will present an information session for families about the dangers of fentanyl. The session will be conducted in Spanish and include information about the effects on children, access to opioids, and support for how families can talk to students about their health and safety. The session will begin at 6:00 p.m. at Highland Middle School. Along with the Bellevue School District, presenters include Youth Eastside Services, local mental health advocates, and Bellevue Police outreach. The Bellevue Schools Foundationsponsors this event.
Register for Spring for Schools, Hosted by the Bellevue Schools Foundation
With Mid-Winter Break in our rearview mirror, I am looking forward to a vibrant spring, including Spring for Schools on March 30! Registration for Bellevue Schools Foundation's annual fundraiser is free. The event not only offers a chance to explore student initiatives funded by the Foundation, it's a fun evening to connect with fellow BSD families and teachers and celebrate our community. As a reminder, Bellevue Schools Foundation provides critical funding to our school — learn about the programs supported in our classrooms.
Hopefully you saw Dr. Aramaki's blog about the importance of funding from BSF at this time. Community donations to BSF will safeguard the transformational opportunities that set BSD apart nationally. I hope to see you at Spring for Schools on March 30! If you want to learn more about BSF and/or the event, please don't hesitate to contact info@bsfdn.org.
2024 Summer Programs
Bellevue School District is proud to offer summer programs for students in 3rd to 12th grade. Learn more about the programs offered and stay tuned for registration coming soon.
High School Credit Recovery Summer School 2024
The High School Summer School program is designed to support students in need of credit recovery for on-time graduation through in-person classes held at Sammamish High School.
- Location: Sammamish High School
- Program Dates: Monday to Friday, July 9 – July 31, 2024. In-Person Attendance Required.
- Time: Students may take 1 or 2 courses. Period 1: 9:00 – 10:30; Period 2: 11:00 – 12:30
- Meals: A no-cost lunch will be served at 10:30am daily
- Program Cost: There is no fee for the program.
- Grade Level: Incoming 9th grade to 12th grade
- Student Eligibility and Identification: This program is for high school students in need of course credit for courses previously taken. Students are identified based on needs to support on-time graduation through school counselor recommendations. This program is not for grade improvement, nor earning original credit for pathway acceleration. This program is for credit recovery for classes previously failed (grades F, W, I, NC).
- Program Design: Students will participate in class, in-person daily during their designated class times. Afternoon tutorial hours will be available for students as needed. The summer coursework utilizes the ALEKS learning platform for math, specially designed chemistry and biology summer curriculum, and the APEX learning platforms for all other courses. In-person attendance is required daily.
- Courses Offered: Available courses and times will be posted on the HS Summer School webpage by February 28.
- Registration: Summer School registration will be online through the summer school website starting March 1 through June 25. All students in need of summer school will receive registration access codes from their school counselor. Priority enrollment will be given to rising 12th grade students and students most in need of graduation assistance. Final confirmation of enrollment will be sent via email at the end of June. Registration assistance can be provided by contacting hssummer@bsd405.org
- Credits: Students will earn a letter grade for their summer credit recovery course(s).
Community Information
City of Bellevue Youth Link Upcoming Dates
The City of Bellevue Youth Link has several upcoming events and opportunities for community involvement.
May 3, 2024 – Deadline to submit Community Leadership Awards Nomination Form. Join Youth Link as they celebrate their 34th Annual Community Leadership Awards event in May! This annual, citywide event celebrates Bellevue youth who contribute through leadership, community service, advocacy, diversity and social justice support.
Educators, community members, parents and other adults may nominate a student in Bellevue. Students are welcome to nominate their peers. Nominations will be open until Friday, May 3, 2024.
Youth Link will host the awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Bellevue City Hall.
May 15, 2024 – Apply to join the Youth Link board! The Youth Link Board consists of 12 youths and six adults from the Bellevue community who advise the City Manager about issues that impact youth. They advocate making system-level changes during a two-year term. The board meets twice a month, on the second and fourth Wednesdays. Applications for both youth and adult positions must be submitted by May 15.
Boys and Girls Club of Bellevue Spring Athletic Programs
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Bellevue offer a wide array of spring athletic programs for students. Students can select from programs like basketball, flag football, volleyball, track and a special clinic for little athletes ages 3-6. Spaces fill up quickly so sign up today! Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
2024 Congressional Art Competition
Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Each Member of Congress may choose to host the program in their individual districts and ask a panel of local artists, such as artists-in-residence, art teachers, gallery owners, etc. to act as judges. The winning artwork will hang in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for one year.
Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of judges select the winning entries. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, DC (with two free plane tickets to get there). The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.
Details
Artwork may be paintings, drawings, collages, prints, mixed media, computer-generated art, photography. Submissions for Congresswoman DelBene – Washington’s 1st District are due by April 19, 2024.
Register online.
Resources For Families
Mental Health Resources for the BSD Community
The BSD website includes a Mental Health Servicessection, which provides mental health resources for students, staff and families. The BSD community is encouraged to explore these resources to learn more about mental health topics including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse and suicide prevention. Individuals seeking support may also reach out to school counselors and MHAT counselors. The Bellevue School District has also partnered with Care Solaceto complement districtwide efforts that support the well-being of students, families and staff. Care Solace is a free and confidential care coordination service that can help you quickly find mental health or substance use treatment options matched to your needs, regardless of circumstance. Care Solace is NOT an emergency response service or mental health service provider. If you have a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. The Care Solace team is always available — including nights, weekends and holidays.
How to Report a Safety Concern
Bullying and safety concerns can always be reported to any staff member at your school. Reporting forms are located in the main office and each classroom. The Bellevue School District also utilizes an anonymous reporting tool called SafeSchools Alert through which anyone can make a verbal or written report of harassment, intimidation or bullying. Information on how to submit a report via any of these methods is available on the district website at www.bsd405.org/help/report.
Questions? Contact Information
Bethany Spinler, Principal
Matt Stokes, Assistant Principal
Carol Anne Yamamoto, Registrar
Kelley Hoang, Attendance
Bellevue School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups.
The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
Civil Rights, Racial Discrimination, and Gender Expression or Identity Discrimination:
Civil Rights/Nondiscrimination Compliance Coordinator Nancy Pham, (425) 456-4040 or phamn@bsd405.org
Sex-based Discrimination, including Sexual Harassment: Title IX Coordinator: Jeff Lowell, (425) 456-4010 or lowellj@bsd405.org
Disability Discrimination: Section 504/ADA Coordinator: Heather Edlund, (425) 456-4156 or edlundh@bsd405.org
Mailing address for all three: 12111 NE 1st Street, Bellevue, WA 98005.